Solar Energy Performance With Plastic Solar Cells Improved With New Method

ScienceDaily (Feb. 27, 2009) — The University of Alberta and the National Research Council's National Institute (NINT) for Nanotechnology have engineered an approach that is leading to improved performance of plastic solar cells (hybrid organic solar cells). The development of inexpensive, mass-produced plastic solar panels is a goal of intense interest for many of the world's scientists and engineers because of the high cost and shortage of the ultra-high purity silicon and other materials normally required.

Plastic solar cells are made up of layers of different materials, each with a specific function, called a sandwich structure. Jillian Buriak, a professor of chemistry at the U of A, NINT principal investigator and member of the research team, uses a simple analogy to describe the approach: "Consider a clubhouse sandwich, with many different layers. One layer absorbs the light, another helps to generate the electricity, and others help to draw the electricity out of the device. Normally, the layers don't stick well, and so the electricity ends up stuck and never gets out, leading to inefficient devices. We are working on the mayonnaise, the mustard, the butter and other 'special sauces' that bring the sandwich together, and make each of the layers work together. That makes a better sandwich, and makes a better solar cell, in our case".

After two years of research, these U of A and NINT scientists have, by only working on one part of the sandwich, seen improvements of about 30 per cent in the efficiency of the working model. Michael Brett, professor of electrical and computer engineering, NINT principal investigator and member of the research team is optimistic: "our team is so incredibly cross-disciplinary, with people from engineering, physics and chemistry backgrounds all working towards this common goal of cheap manufacturable solar cells. This collaboration is extremely productive because of the great team with such diverse backgrounds, [although] there is still so much more for us to do, which is exciting." This multidisciplinary approach, common at the National Institute for Nanotechnology, brings together the best of the NRC and the University of Alberta.

The team estimates it will be five to seven years before plastic solar panels will be mass produced but Buriak adds that when it happens solar energy will be available to everyone. She says the next generation of solar technology belongs to plastic.

"Plastic solar cell material will be made cheaply and quickly and in massive quantities by ink jet-like printers."

Cheaper Materials Could Be Key To Low-cost Solar Cells

ScienceDaily (Feb. 19, 2009) — Unconventional solar cell materials that are as abundant but much less costly than silicon and other semiconductors in use today could substantially reduce the cost of solar photovoltaics, according to a new study from the Energy and Resources Group and the Department of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL).

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See also:

Matter & Energy

• Solar Energy
• Energy Technology
• Energy Policy

Earth & Climate

• Energy and the Environment
• Renewable Energy
• Environmental Science

Reference

• Biomass
• Solar panel
• Materials science
• Carbon-14

These materials, some of which are highly abundant, could expand the potential for solar cells to become a globally significant source of low-carbon energy, the study authors said.

The analysis, which appeared online Feb. 13 in Environmental Science & Technology, examines the two most pressing challenges to large-scale deployment of solar photovoltaics as the world moves toward a carbon neutral future: cost per kilowatt hour and total resource abundance. The UC Berkeley study evaluated 23 promising semiconducting materials and discovered that 12 are abundant enough to meet or exceed annual worldwide energy demand. Of those 12, nine have a significant raw material cost reduction over traditional crystalline silicon, the most widely used photovoltaic material in mass production today.

The work provides a roadmap for research into novel solar cell types precisely when the U. S. Department of Energy and other funders plan to expand their efforts to link new basic research to deployment efforts as part of a national effort to greatly expand the use of clean energy, according to Daniel Kammen, UC Berkeley professor of energy and resources and director of the Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory.

Kammen and colleagues Cyrus Wadia of LBNL and A. Paul Alivisatos of UC Berkeley's Department of Chemistry embarked on an intensive research project to explore the question of whether high-impact materials have been overlooked or underdeveloped during the last several decades of solar cell research.

"The reason we started looking at new materials is because people often assume solar will be the dominant energy source of the future," said Wadia, a post-doctoral researcher who spearheaded the research. "Because the sun is the Earth's most reliable and plentiful resource, solar definitely has that potential, but current solar technology may not get us there in a timeframe that is meaningful, if at all. It's important to be optimistic, but when considering the practicalities of a solar-dominated energy system, we must turn our attention back to basic science research if we are to solve the problem."

The most popular solar materials in use today are silicon and thin films made of CdTe (cadmium telluride) and CIGS (copper indium gallium selenide). While these materials have helped elevate solar to a major player in renewable energy markets, they are still limited by manufacturing challenges. Silicon is expensive to process and mass produce. Furthermore, it has become increasingly difficult to mine enough silicon to meet ever-growing consumer demand.

Thin films, while significantly less costly than silicon and easier to mass produce, would rapidly deplete our natural resources if these technologies were to scale to terawatt hours of annual manufacturing production. A terawatt hour is a billion kilowatt hours.

"We believe in a portfolio of technologies and therefore continue to support the commercial development of all photovoltaic technologies," Kammen said. "Yet, what we've found is that some leading thin films may be difficult to scale as high as global electricity consumption."

"It's not to say that these materials won't play a significant role," Wadia added, "but rather, if our objective is to supply the majority of electricity in this way, we must quickly consider alternative materials that are Earth-abundant, non-toxic and cheap. These are the materials that can get us to our goals more rapidly."

The team identified a large material extraction cost (cents/watt) gap between leading thin film materials and a number of unconventional solar cell candidates, including iron pyrite, copper sulfide and copper oxide. They showed that iron pyrite is several orders of magnitude better than any alternative on important metrics of both cost and abundance. In the report, the team referenced some recent advances in nanoscale science to argue that the modest efficiency losses of unconventional solar cell materials would be offset by the potential for scaling up while saving significantly on materials costs.

Finding an affordable electricity supply is essential for meeting basic human needs, Kammen said, yet 30 percent of the world's population remains without reliable or sufficient electrical energy. Scientific forecasts predict that to meet the world's energy demands by 2050, global carbon emissions would have to grow to levels of irreversible consequences.

"As the U.S. envisions a clean energy future consistent with the vision outlined by President Obama, it is exciting that the range of promising solar cell materials is expanding, ideally just as a national renewable energy strategy takes shape," said Kammen, who is co-director of the Berkeley Institute of the Environment and UC Berkeley's Class of 1935 Distinguished Chair of Energy.

The study by is by Wadia, Kammen and Alivisatos and will appear in the March print issue of Environmental Science & Technology.

The work was supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Energy Foundation, the Karsten Family Foundation Endowment of the Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory and the Class of 1935.

Diamond-like Films Help In Study Of Solar Winds

ScienceDaily (Feb. 19, 2009) — Diamond-like carbon films created at Sandia National Laboratories are helping probe the far boundaries of the solar system as part of a NASA mission to study how the sun’s solar wind interacts with the interstellar medium – the matter that exists between the stars within a galaxy.

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See also:

Space & Time

• Sun
• Astrophysics
• Solar System

Matter & Energy

• Solar Energy
• Detectors
• Energy Policy

Reference

• Molecule
• Interstellar medium
• Nucleosynthesis
• Phase (matter)

The films are in the low-energy sensor (IBEX-Lo) on board NASA’s Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX), which lifted off in October on a mission to study the farthest fringes of the solar system. IBEX’s two bucket-sized sensors, covering high and low energy ranges, are designed to capture particles bouncing back toward Earth from the distant boundary between the hot wind from the sun and the cold wall of interstellar space.

The active conversion surface of the low-energy neutral atom detector is coated with Sandia’s diamond-like films created by Tom Friedmann.

“The primary purpose of the diamond-like carbon films is to provide a surface that will ‘efficiently’ ionize energetic neutral atoms,” Friedmann says, “so they can then be detected. Smooth surfaces are required so that the scattered particles can be efficiently collected. If the surface is rough, scattered particles are lost, decreasing efficiency. The diamond-like carbon films have an average surface roughness that is about one angstrom. This is less than the diameter of a carbon atom.”

To create the 30 films aboard the system, Friedmann used pulsed-laser deposition to deposit the films on the conversion surfaces. Carbon was used because it has relatively high conversion efficiency, low sputter yield, and is very smooth, he says. Single crystal diamond has the highest efficiency but is too expensive to grow over large areas and difficult to polish to the extremely low surface roughness needed. The diamond-like carbon films naturally grow smooth and require no polishing.

Friedmann says the project took about one and a half months to complete and he says he was pleased with the outcome. Now the IBEX team is awaiting the results from the mission.

Eric Hertzberg, from Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center, approached Friedmann to create the films. Hertzberg is the lead engineer for the IBEX-Lo Sensor. Bob Nemanich, Arizona State University, also played a key role in passivating the films. Friedmann says Sandia uses similar films in studies of electron field emission and in microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) devices.

Voyager 1, launched in 1977, made the first direct measurements of this boundary (the heliopause) as it was the first spacecraft to leave the inner solar system and head toward interstellar space. Voyager 2, launched the same year, will also relay observations of the boundary, but these measurements are of only one place and time.

IBEX is designed to provide a three-dimensional map of the boundary. IBEX is the latest in NASA’s series of low-cost, rapidly developed Small Explorers spacecraft. The IBEX mission was developed by Southwest Research Institute, led by Principal Investigator David McComas, with a national and international team of partners.

Super Solar Cells? Certain Nanocrystals Shown To Generate More Than One Electron

ScienceDaily (Feb. 18, 2009) — A team of Los Alamos researchers led by Victor Klimov has shown that carrier multiplication—when a photon creates multiple electrons—is a real phenomenon in tiny semiconductor crystals and not a false observation born of extraneous effects that mimic carrier multiplication. The research, explained in a recent issue of Accounts of Chemical Research, shows the possibility of solar cells that create more than one unit of energy per photon.

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Questions about the ability to increase the energy output of solar cells have prompted Los Alamos National Laboratory researchers to reassess carrier multiplication in extremely small semiconductor particles.

When a conventional solar cell absorbs a photon of light, it frees an electron to generate an electrical current. Energy in excess of the amount needed to promote an electron into a conducting state is lost as heat to atomic vibrations (phonons) in the material lattice. Through carrier multiplication, excess energy can be transferred to another electron instead of the material lattice, freeing it to generate electrical current—thereby yielding a more efficient solar cell.

Klimov and colleagues have shown that nanocrystals of certain semiconductor materials can generate more than one electron after absorbing a photon. This is partly due to strengthened interactions between electrons squeezed together within the confines of the nanoscale particles.

In 2004, Los Alamos researchers Richard Schaller and Klimov reported the first observations of strong carrier multiplication in nanosized crystals of lead selenide resulting in up to two electron-hole pairs per absorbed photon. A year later, Arthur Nozik and coworkers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory reproduced these results. Eventually, spectroscopic signatures of carrier multiplication were observed in nanocrystals of various compositions, including silicon.

Recently, the claims in carrier multiplication research have become contentious. Specifically, some recent studies described low or negligible carrier multiplication efficiencies, which seemed to run contrary to earlier findings. To sort out these discrepancies, Los Alamos researchers analyzed factors that could have led to a spread in the reported carrier multiplication results. These factors included variations between samples, differences in detection techniques, and effects mimicking the signatures of carrier multiplication in spectroscopic measurements.

To analyze how a particular detection technique might affect an outcome, John McGuire, a postdoctoral researcher on Klimov's team, investigated carrier multiplication using two different spectroscopic techniques—transient absorption and time-resolved photoluminescence. The results obtained by these two methods were in remarkable agreement, indicating that the use of different detection techniques is unlikely to explain discrepancies highlighted by other researchers. Further, although these measurements revealed some sample-to-sample variation in carrier multiplication yields, these variations were much smaller than the spread in reported data.

After ruling out these two potential causes of discrepancies, the researchers focused on effects that could mimic carrier multiplication. One such effect is photoionization of nanocrystals.

"When a nanocrystal absorbs a high-energy photon, an electron can acquire enough energy to escape the material," Klimov explained. "This leaves behind a charged nanocrystal, which contains a positive 'hole.' Photogeneration of another electron by a second photon results in a two-hole, one-electron state, reminiscent of one produced by carrier multiplication, which can lead to false positives," he said.

To evaluate the influence of photoionization, the Los Alamos researchers conducted back-to-back studies of static and stirred solutions of nanocrystals. Stirring removes charged nanocrystals from the measured region of the sample. Therefore, when crystals are subjected to light, the stirring eliminates the possibility that charged nanocrystals will absorb a second photon. While stirring of some samples did not affect the results of the measurements, other samples showed a significant difference in the apparent carrier multiplication yields measured under static and stirred conditions. Since most previous studies were performed on static samples, these results suggest that discrepancies noted by other researchers arise at least in part from uncontrolled photoionization, which stirring seeks to eliminate.

The Los Alamos researchers re-evaluated carrier multiplication efficiencies when photoionization was suppressed. The results are encouraging.

While the newly measured electron yields are lower than previously reported, the efficiency of carrier multiplication is still greater than in bulk solids. Specifically, both the energetic onset and the energy required to generate an extra electron in nanocrystals are about half of those in bulk solids.

These results indicate significant promise for nanosized crystals as efficient harvesters of solar radiation.

"Researchers still have a lot of work to do," Klimov cautioned. "One important challenge is to figure out how to design a material in which the energetic cost to create an extra electron can approach the limit defined by a semiconductor band gap. Such a material could raise the fundamental power conversion limit of a solar cell from 31 percent to above 40 percent."

The Los Alamos nanocrystal team's research is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Basic Energy Sciences and Los Alamos' Laboratory-Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program.

lugging In Molecular Wires To Capture Light Energy

ScienceDaily (Feb. 17, 2009) — Plants, algae, and cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) are masters of everything to do with solar energy because they are able to almost completely transform captured sunlight into chemical energy. This is in part because the electrons set free by the photons are transported out of the “light receptor” 1:1 to be used as the driving force for chemical reactions.

Japanese researchers have now developed a new process to capture light energy with nearly equal efficiency. As they report in the journal Angewandte Chemie, they “plug” a molecular “wire” directly into a biological photosynthetic system to efficiently conduct the free electrons to a gold electrode.

The efficiency of photovoltaic energy conversion is of critical significance for the practical application of solar installations. Theoretically, every photon absorbed should release one electron. Whereas modern solar cells are far from achieving high efficiency, natural photosynthetic systems achieve nearly 100 % quantum yield. To improve the efficiency of synthetic systems, experiments were attempted in which biological light-capturing units were deposited onto electrodes as thin films. However, the transfer of electrons from the light-capturing layer into the circuit in this type of system is so inefficient that most of the electrons don’t even make it to the target electrode.

The secret to the success of natural photosystems is the perfect fit of the individual components. The molecules fit precisely together like plugs and sockets and can pass electrons on directly and nearly without loss. The new approach taken by the Japanese researchers cleverly connects photosystem I (PSI) from the blue-green algae Thermosynechococcus elongatus with a synthetic apparatus. An important component of the electron transmission sequence of PSI is vitamin K1. The researchers removed the vitamin K1 from the PSI protein complex and replaced it with a synthetic analogue.

This consists of three parts:

1. The same molecular “plug” with which vitamin K1 is bound to the protein complex (napthoquinone group) is used to “plug in” the synthetic binding component to PSI;
2. a molecular “wire” (hydrocarbon chain) with the same length as in vitamin K1 ensures that the binding component protrudes from the protein complex; and
3. at the other end of the wire is an additional “plug” (viologen group) that anchors the ensemble to a specially coated gold electrode.

Electrons released by irradiation of PSI and transmitted along the wire are very efficiently transmitted to the gold electrode by the viologen group.

It may be possible to use this new strategy to integrate other biocomponents into synthetic systems.

'Celebrity Solstice'

A new Innovative Energy Efficient Cruise Ship.

The new Celebrity Cruises 122,000 ton Luxury cruise ship "Celebrity Solstice" has many of the latest energy efficient features that mostly go unnoticed by the average passenger but make a huge contribution towards energy efficiency on the high seas.

The "Celebrity Solstice" is fitted with 216 solar panels, which power 7000 LED lights in all of the ship's guest elevators.

The naval architects optimized the center of buoyancy of the ship to reduce hull resistance and designed an aft-duck tail to reduce the ship's drag through the water, minimize the ship's wake and use less fuel.

A silicone hull coating reduces the friction of the ship through the water further improving the fuel efficiency of the vessel.

"Celebrity Solstice" transitions from higher wattage incandescent and halogen bulbs to longer lasting fluorescent and LED lights which generate 50% less heat. This results in improved energy efficiency for the ship's lighting and less air-conditioning is required.

Highly glazed windows produced by the 3M company allow natural light in but filter out 99.9% of UV light, which reduces heat transfer and minimizes the need for air-conditioning.

Chilled river rocks are used instead of ice beds in buffet areas, which reduce both water and energy consumption, and result in less need for ice in the restaurants.

An advanced waste water purification system produces near-drinkable quality water before discharge into the ocean thus minimizing any potential negative environmental impact.

This exciting 2,850 passenger cruise ship represents a quantum leap in applying energy efficient measures at sea and generates some good ideas that can easily be replicated in buildings and facilities on dry land.

With EPA Ruling on Ethanol Looming New Research Highlights Environmental Costs

With EPA Ruling on Ethanol Looming New Research Highlights Environmental Costs

Contact: Regina Weiss – 212-991-1069; 917-288-5251; regina@gracelinks.org

Study indicates corn ethanol more polluting than regular gasoline

July 29, 2008 - With the EPA about to announce whether it will waive a federal requirement that would increase the amount of biofuel drivers get at the pump, some analysts are pointing to the environmental costs of ethanol.

Recent debate over corn ethanol has focused on its role in higher food prices, with environmental costs taking a back seat. However, research published in the journal Science indicates that producing corn ethanol creates twice the global warming emissions of regular gasoline due to the conversion of forest and grassland to cropland. At the same time, a report by the Network for New Energy Choices details current environmental costs of corn ethanol production, including soil erosion, depletion of fresh water supplies and destruction of ocean habitat endangering fish and other marine life.

Last year alone 12 million new acres of corn were brought into production in the U.S., contributing to the depletion of fresh water supplies and adding to agro-chemical runoff from the nation’s corn belt that has already created an enormous "dead zone" – the size of New Jersey and growing – in the Gulf of Mexico.

"The environmental damage caused by the rapid conversion of land for corn production, including recent analysis showing that ethanol will increase, rather than decrease greenhouse gas emissions, strongly argues against new federal mandates for additional ethanol production," said Dulce Fernandes, associate director of the Network for New Energy Choices. "Meanwhile, there are immediate steps we believe our nation should take to balance energy demands with the need to address climate change and preserve the nation’s farmland and water supply."

The Network’s report, "The Rush to Ethanol: Not All Biofuels Are Created Equal," is available here. In a letter sent to members of Congress last week accompanied by the report, Network analysts advised that the EPA should be allowed to waive the corn-based component of the federal biofuels mandate and initiate research authorized by the 2007 federal energy bill to study the impacts of expanding corn ethanol production. In addition, they proposed that sustainability criteria be established for the production of ethanol and the feed stocks grown to make it.

"Biofuels will undeniably play a part in our energy future," Fernandes said. "Now is the time to study the effects, so that we adopt them in ways that are beneficial, rather than destructive."

Tips from the Office of Energy Efficiency of Natural Resources Canada

10 more Energy Saving Tips for Everybody

1. Use sinks full of water rather than running water for washing pots and cleaning vegetables.

2. Defrost freezers frequently since frost build ups reduce efficiency

3. Most foods can be placed in ovens during pre-heating. Only bakery goods must wait until ovens reach the correct temperature.

4. Dimming controls are useful for providing supplemental illumination in areas where natural light is available during the day.

5. Daylighting refers to the use of natural light in interior and perimeter areas. Windows, skylights and translucent daylighting can reduce your daytime lighting requirements by over 50 percent.

6. Pick the right hot water system for your facility or home. A unit that is too small may leave you and your guests without hot water, and too large a unit will consume more energy than necessary.

7. Use photocells to ensure outside lights operate only at night.

8. Do not over-dry dishes. Adjust power dryers to deliver heated air just long enough to dry dishes.

9. Switch energy-intensive lights off as soon as you leave an unoccupied area of the premises and add a Last Person Out switch.

10. Break the habit of turning everything on first thing in the morning. Leave equipment off until it is needed and turn it off when it is no longer needed.

Offshore Wind Turbines Planned in UK

Solar and Heat Tips Newsletter January 2009 Part 5

Offshore Wind Turbines Planned in UK

According to a report from Reuters, Clipper Windpower Plc plans to build the world's biggest offshore wind turbines in Britain, which hopes to catch up in green energy after lagging behind others in Europe despite its rich wind resources. Jim Dehlsen, chairman of the London-listed, U.S.-based company, told Reuters it will set up a factory in northern England, which would have an annual capacity to manufacture about 200 turbines by 2014-2015.

Solar Power’s Growth Depends on Key Policy Changes

Solar Power’s Growth Depends on Key Policy Changes

Matt Painter

For Immediate Release

More Info: Matthew Painter 212/991.1831

Chris Cooper 212/991.1830

After a comprehensive analysis of the obstacles to solar power’s growth, the Network for New Energy Choices (NNEC) has put forth key policy suggestions to advance the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar America Initiative (SAI). The NNEC recommends the removal of infrastructural barriers and the implementation of policy changes that will expand net metering’s potential as a solar incentive.

Net metering is crucial to increasing the demand for solar power while decreasing the cost to consumers. It allows customers who utilize solar power to sell electricity back to the utility, helping them recoup their capital expenditures. Currently, 35 states offer net metering. However, not all states offer equal incentives. New Jersey, California, Colorado and New Mexico have the best net metering regulations.

“If the DOE’s initiative is serious about promoting solar power, it should take best practices from net metering successes in these states and push them to be norm nation-wide,” said NNEC Research Director James Rose.

The Network is calling for the SAI to do that by:

• Making interconnection standards uniform

Consistent interconnection standards are the best way to ensure a safe and fair connection to the electrical grid. Without them, utilities and state regulators can create burdensome and unnecessary requirements that make solar photovoltaic systems prohibitively expensive.

• Making net metering a part of a broader incentives system

Net metering should be paired with rebates and tax credits that help offset the initial start-up costs of a solar electric system.

• Creating a streamlined and transparent application and installation process for net metering

Getting approval for a net metering project should be simple and quick—without the burdening bureaucracy that many states impose.

• Thinking of net metering as a demand reduction strategy rather than a supply strategy

Net metering’s primary function is demand reduction—solar is especially effective at reducing demand during peak hours. Electric distribution companies should compensate net metering consumers at the same rate as customers who reduce their own demand by measures such as conservation: the retail rate.

In addition to these suggestions, the NNEC also recommends a high net metering size limit, allowing all customer classes to participate, allowing a one year roll over period for excess power, not limiting total net metering capacity and covering all on-site generation methods.

“By following these suggestions, New Jersey went from virtually no solar power a few years ago to being able to realistically meet 20 percent of its energy needs with renewables by 2020,” said Rose. “To ensure clean, reliable electricity, the entire country must follow—and improve on—the Garden State’s example.”

The $148 million Solar America Initiative seeks to accelerate the development of advanced solar electric technologies while reducing U.S. dependence on fossil fuels and improving the environment.

The Network for New Energy Choices is committed to providing local governments with ideas and information on generating clean, affordable power from local, renewable energy sources. Working with a growing coalition of nonprofit organizations, municipal officials, business leaders and academics, NNEC promotes creative ideas for financing community-based clean energy, helping to dispel misinformation about renewable energy in the media and advocating for critical utility policy reforms that will usher in a new world of energy choices for all Americans.

Solar Water Purifier

Solar and Heat Tips Newsletter January 2009 Part 4

Solar Water Purifier

The Solar Water Purifier is a rectangular shaped unit that contains an array of 32 shallow, square trays interconnected by a series of weaves. The trays are made from a black plastic sheet that is vacuum formed onto an aluminium pattern to reach the desired cell shapes.

The panel of cells is covered by a sheet of white-glass and sealed using the surface tensions of water vapour produced in the unit. The undersides of the black plastic trays have been thermally insulated to maximise heat absorption. The unit is framed by an aluminium mount for strength and to keep shadowing to a minimum. It is also fitted with folding legs, so that the entire system is inclined at 12.5 to the horizontal.

Polluted water is fed into the unit and cascades down, filling the trays. The sun's radiated heat shines through the glass onto the water. The sun rays are only partially absorbed by the water and then more completely by the black plastic lining of each cell which in turn heats the water more.

As the water is heated to 85, water vapour condenses on the inside surface of the glass and runs down into the purified water channel into a collection container. The unique design of the cells maximises heat absorption and condensation which increases the pure water output.

The ultra-violet radiation from the sun combined with prolonged exposure times prove to be extremely effective for killing commonly occurring bacteria and other water borne diseases.

Other pollutants do not evaporate and are flushed away in unpurified water into a chamber called the 'overflow channel'. Virtually none of the dissolved solid waste is collected in the trays. If the SWP is being used consistently there should be no build up at all. If solid impure material has been collected in the trays, the hardened deposit can be easily removed by using a diluted acid solution such as citric acid (or lemon juice).

The water output of the unit can be maximised when it is correctly positioned to the sun. John recommends rotating the unit every 30 mins or so throughout the day, so its shadow is underneath itself, effectively tracking the sun. This will increase the output by about 30%.

The cell geometry maximises the resultant condensation and high yields of pure water are obtained. Multiple units can be connected in a series to produce larger volumes of water.

The Solar Water Purifier can produce about 6 litres of pure water per square meter per day at 20C ambient and 9 litres at 35C. So an individual unit (which is 1/3 m) can produce up to 3 litres per day.

Solar and Heat Tips Newsletter January 2009 Part 3

Solar Taxi

A Swiss inventor has completed the first trip around the world in a solar-powered car.

Louis Palmer travelled 32,000 miles through 38 different countries since setting off in July last year

The car arrived in the Polish city of Poznan in time for the UN conference on climate change The car arrived in the Polish city of Poznan in time for the UN conference on climate change.

Mr Palmer said he wanted to raise awareness of alternative energy sources as delegates from some 190 nations work towards a new treaty to limit pollution.

He said: "I hope really that the car industry they hear these signs and they really change and make electric cars in the future,"

Mr Palmer's prototype was not cheap to manufacture - it cost him about the same as two Ferrari sports cars.

But he reckons his invention would sell at around 8,700 if the big car makers manufactured it.

Independent Television News Limited 2008. All rights reserved.

New Ultra Efficient Motor Just Sips Electricity

Nova Torque Inc. in California have announced on their website that they have now developed a brushless dc. electric motor that runs on 10% to 30% less electricity than conventional electric motors.

Since billions of electric motors consume more than half of all electricity in the world, any improvements in motor electricity consumption could represent a massive difference in world electricity consumption.

DC sources of electricity such as solar power systems do not now require an expensive dc./ac. inverter to operate these cheaper, lighter high torque dc. motors thus potentially lowering the cost of many power systems.

Applications include motor drives for equipment where high efficiency, high speed, continuous torque and cool operation are important.

For example, Pumps, dishwashers, geothermal, pool, well, irrigation, HVAC & refrigeration: air conditioning, freezers, ventilation fans, cars, scooters, bikes, golf carts, forklifts, marine, motion control robotics, factory automation, conveyors and so on.

Smaller lighter conical magnets are used in these compact newly patented motors that require 40% less steel and 50% less copper to manufacture reported Anita Hamilton in Time magazine.

Sizes of the new Nova Torque motors range fro 500 watts to 150 KW or Fractional Horse Power up to 200 Horse Power.

Specialty: aeronautics, down-hole motorsa patented technology which provides unprecedented levels of energy efficiency. We are proud to offer an important breakthrough in the efficiency sector of the Clean Tech market. Read more

Nova Torque motors provide more output power in smaller sizes than any other electric motor on the market today. Our unique DC brushless motor design provides numerous advantages over conventional motors, and is ideally suited to applications where high efficiency, high speed, greater continuous torque or cooler operation is critical.

This ground-breaking motor technology has countless possible applications, including:

News & Events

Dec. 4, 2008

NovaTorque Recognized by the World Economic Forum

Cologny/Geneva, Switzerland

Jan. 26-28, 2009

Visit NovaTorque at the 2009 AHR Expo.

McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois

Upcoming Products

PurePowerTM-250

115mm x 148mm, 7.9kg, 6 Nm nominal torque, 1HP @ 1200 RPM,

> 90% efficiency. Ideal for HVAC and pump applications. Samples available Q1 '09

PurePowerTM-150

60mm x 124mm, 1.7kg, 1.5 Nm nominal torque, 1.5HP @ 8000 RPM,

> 90% efficiency. Ideal for factory automation, pumps. Samples available Q2 '09

World Economic Forum

December 4, 2008 -- Cologny/Geneva, Switzerland -- NovaTorque, Inc. has created a patented electric motor technology which represents an important breakthrough for the motor industry and an exciting development in the "clean tech" field. NovaTorque's innovative motor structure provides:

Much greater efficiency than existing motor technologies

Higher torque in smaller sizes

Better thermal performance

Competitive manufacturing costs.

Importance of Motor Efficiency

Motors consume about half of all electricity produced. Because there are billions of electric motors in use, even small efficiency improvements could make a huge difference in total electricity consumption and save $100 billion annually in energy costs. NovaTorque motors are an astounding 10-30% more efficient than conventional motors. Their unique design is also more compact, runs cooler, and produces more output power than any other type of small motor.

NovaTorque History

NovaTorque's technology grew from the confluence of several factors: improved magnetic modeling, improved materials and techniques with which to make motors, and the need for much more efficient motors. NovaTorque has spent four years developing this new technology, which can scale from fractional HP (500W) to greater than 200 HP (150 kW). The motors are DC brushless motors (also categorized as Electronically Commutated Permanent Magnet motors) and run with standard motor drive electronics.

Solar and Heat Tips Newsletter January 2009 Part 2

Solar and Heat Tips Newsletter January 2009 Part 2

Solar Billy

The Solar Billy is a tubular-shaped kettle powered by solar energy. It is 750ml long and presently designed to hold and heat up to 1.2 litres of water which is enough to make some five regular sized cups of coffee or tea.

As mentioned above, the Solar Billy uses existing evacuated (or vacuum) solar technology to capture the solar energy needed to power the kettle. Vacuum tube technology is superior for heating water because the vacuum insulates the heat without blocking out sunlight. Also, unlike other types of solar collectors, evacuated tube solar collectors still provide excellent results on cloudy days. This is because the tubes are able to absorb the energy from infra-red rays, which can pass through clouds.

The evacuated tube is comprised of two layers of strong glass with a vacuum (or void) between the two layers. On the outside surface of the inner layer is a black coating which absorbs, then transmits the solar rays through the vacuum to heat the water. As mentioned above, the Solar Billy also has a "highly reflective panel" located within the void between the evacuated tube and the outer tube. This feature generates a "mirror effect" which dramatically increases the Billy's efficiency and capacity to heat as the reflective panel maximises the sun's energy which can be reflected and absorbed by the Billy.

Also, the cylindrical shape of Billy enables the inner tube of the vessel to passively track or follow the sun's path as the sun moves throughout the day thereby maximising exposure to sunlight.

The Solar Billy prototype stands on tripod legs. The legs fold back onto the Billy which enables it to fit snugly into a carry bag for transportation. (However, the inventor is designing another method of "standing" the Billy which will work in conjunction with a hard cover).

The inventor says the Solar Billy would take 35 minutes to three hours to get water hot enough to make a cup of tea or coffee depending on the climatic conditions.

Robert F McMahon & Associates Pty Ltd

Level 20 68 Pitt Street
Sydney, New South Wales
2000
AU

Solar Power’s Growth Depends on Key Policy Changes

Matt Painter

For Immediate Release

More Info: Matthew Painter 212/991.1831

Chris Cooper 212/991.1830

After a comprehensive analysis of the obstacles to solar power’s growth, the Network for New Energy Choices (NNEC) has put forth key policy suggestions to advance the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar America Initiative (SAI). The NNEC recommends the removal of infrastructural barriers and the implementation of policy changes that will expand net metering’s potential as a solar incentive.

Net metering is crucial to increasing the demand for solar power while decreasing the cost to consumers. It allows customers who utilize solar power to sell electricity back to the utility, helping them recoup their capital expenditures. Currently, 35 states offer net metering. However, not all states offer equal incentives. New Jersey, California, Colorado and New Mexico have the best net metering regulations.

“If the DOE’s initiative is serious about promoting solar power, it should take best practices from net metering successes in these states and push them to be norm nation-wide,” said NNEC Research Director James Rose.

The Network is calling for the SAI to do that by:

• Making interconnection standards uniform

Consistent interconnection standards are the best way to ensure a safe and fair connection to the electrical grid. Without them, utilities and state regulators can create burdensome and unnecessary requirements that make solar photovoltaic systems prohibitively expensive.

• Making net metering a part of a broader incentives system

Net metering should be paired with rebates and tax credits that help offset the initial start-up costs of a solar electric system.

• Creating a streamlined and transparent application and installation process for net metering

Getting approval for a net metering project should be simple and quick—without the burdening bureaucracy that many states impose.

• Thinking of net metering as a demand reduction strategy rather than a supply strategy

Net metering’s primary function is demand reduction—solar is especially effective at reducing demand during peak hours. Electric distribution companies should compensate net metering consumers at the same rate as customers who reduce their own demand by measures such as conservation: the retail rate.

In addition to these suggestions, the NNEC also recommends a high net metering size limit, allowing all customer classes to participate, allowing a one year roll over period for excess power, not limiting total net metering capacity and covering all on-site generation methods.

“By following these suggestions, New Jersey went from virtually no solar power a few years ago to being able to realistically meet 20 percent of its energy needs with renewables by 2020,” said Rose. “To ensure clean, reliable electricity, the entire country must follow—and improve on—the Garden State’s example.”

The $148 million Solar America Initiative seeks to accelerate the development of advanced solar electric technologies while reducing U.S. dependence on fossil fuels and improving the environment.

The Network for New Energy Choices is committed to providing local governments with ideas and information on generating clean, affordable power from local, renewable energy sources. Working with a growing coalition of nonprofit organizations, municipal officials, business leaders and academics, NNEC promotes creative ideas for financing community-based clean energy, helping to dispel misinformation about renewable energy in the media and advocating for critical utility policy reforms that will usher in a new world of energy choices for all Americans.

MEDIA ADVISORY: America Needs a True Renewable Energy Policy

Media Briefing on Environmental Coalition Release of Biofuels Platform

Noon EST, Wednesday, February 11th

WASHINGTON – According to a 2008 report from the Energy Information Administration, in 2007, the federal government supported corn ethanol to the tune of $3.04 billion. That amount is more than 3 times the federal support provided to wind, solar, and geothermal energy combined. The continued federal largess lavished on corn ethanol comes with little or no return to taxpayers in energy security, protection from global climate change, or reducing the cost of driving.

Despite the clear detriments of corn ethanol, and in an effort to address corn ethanol overcapacity, USDA and the EPA have commenced discussions aimed at raising ethanol blending levels in the United States, to as high as E15 from the current level of E10.

The blind rush by lawmakers to embrace the failed promise of current conventional biofuels has led to growing skepticism among many in the environmental community that even the much touted next-generation biofuels will become a viable component of a larger US renewable energy portfolio.

On Wednesday, February 11th, the Clean Air Task Force, Environmental Working Group, Friends of the Earth, Network for New Energy Choices and NY PIRG will release a comprehensive biofuels platform to address the critical and immediate energy challenges facing America.

WHEN: Wednesday, February 11th 2009 at 12:00 NOON – 1:00 PM Eastern Time

WHAT: Teleconference briefing for accredited journalists for release of environmental coalition’s biofuels policy platform.

CALL INFORMATION: Please contact Don Carr, EWG, (202) 939-9141, don@ewg.org

WHO: Craig Cox, Midwest Vice President, Environmental Working Group Kate McMahon, Energy Policy Campaigner, Friends of the Earth
Dulce Fernandes, Associate Director, Network for New Energy Choices
Jonathan Lewis, Clean Air Task Force

Reporters who wish to view an advance embargoed copy of the biofuels platform or who have questions pertaining to the teleconference should contact Don Carr, EWG, (202) 939-9141 don@ewg.org.

Report Cards Weigh States’ Commitment to Cost Effective Renewable Energy

Report Cards Weigh States’ Commitment to Cost Effective Renewable Energy

States are graded on policies that encourage people to produce their own electricity

Contact:
Regina Weiss
Communications Coordinator
Regina@NewEnergyChoices.org
212-991-1069
917-288-5251

The Network for New Energy Choices has issued its 2008 report cards grading the states’ policies for allowing homeowners and small business owners who generate renewable energy to connect to the grid and receive credit for the electricity they produce.

This year’s report has a number of bright spots that are particularly welcome given the declining economy, Americans’ desire for energy independence, and widespread concern about climate change.

Highlights since the 2007 edition of Freeing the Grid:

• Three states – Arizona, Illinois and Florida – took major steps forward by creating new programs for homeowners and businesses that want to generate their own wind or solar energy, connect to the grid, and receive credit.
• Nine states significantly improved their regulations for allowing people who generate their own renewable energy to receive credit. The nine states are Arkansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, and Vermont.
• Six states and the District of Columbia significantly improved their standards for connecting renewable wind and solar systems to the local electric grid – Maryland, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Washington.

Congressman Jay Inslee of Washington State has called for a national commitment to renewable energy on par with the effort five decades ago to put a man on the moon. In his foreword to Freeing the Grid 2008 Inslee notes that well-designed state policies for renewable energy systems, “can read like ‘open for business’ signs to developers, manufacturers and innovative entrepreneurs. I encourage my fellow federal and state policymakers who want to realize a clean energy future to read this 2008 edition as a blueprint for how they can actively help to spur significant economic growth and energy security in their own states and communities,” Inslee said.

The best state renewable energy policies are those that maximize credit for excess electricity sent to the grid, reduce unnecessary and burdensome red tape and special fees, set clear goals and targets, and provide incentives to encourage homeowners and businesses to install renewable energy systems. States that perform poorly have policies that discourage homeowners and businesses from investing in renewable energy systems, for example, by requiring well-established, proven technologies to undergo rigorous, time-consuming, expensive reviews that dramatically increase the costs of the systems and the amount of time it takes for them to pay for themselves.

In addition to grading states on their policies, Freeing the Grid, serves as a cautionary tale of how even the best of intentions can be derailed by a poor regulatory process. The report’s “Worst Practices” section tells the sad story of Texas, which enacted a law designed to promote net metering “as rapidly as possible,” only to see it derailed by industry opponents. “Net metering” is the provision of a state’s law that allows customers to receive credit for the energy they produce when they are connected to the grid, but opponents of the Texas law took advantage of the fact that the legislation failed to define “net-metering.” As a result, the law is currently interpreted in a way that removes most of the financial incentive from a customer-sited wind or solar energy system. While the net-metering law the Texas legislature passed has the potential to earn an “A” from NNEC, they wound up with an “F” instead. “It’s a shame. Texas could be a big solar market,” said NNEC’s James Rose, one of the primary authors of the report.

NNEC received a 2008 Special Recognition Award from the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) for its multi-year achievements with Freeing the Grid.

“NNEC has been a real mover, and has propelled interconnection and net metering into the spotlight. Freeing the Grid is leading us to greening the grid,” said IREC Executive Director Jane Weissman.

"Freeing the Grid has been an invaluable tool in state utility commission rulemakings; IREC makes a habit of handing out copies to commissioners and commission staff. Time after time, Freeing the Grid has opened a dialogue about the specific steps that can be taken to improve state rules. The classic moment was when a commissioner raised Freeing the Grid in the air at a workshop and said 'We got a B last year and we're going to get an A this year,'" said IREC's Jason Keyes

“If incentives are the engine that drives solar markets, net metering and interconnection standards are the road. Freeing the Grid provides policymakers with a map to sustainable solar development,” said Adam Browning, of The Vote Solar Initiative.

While the quality of net metering programs vary widely, today only ten states are left without some type of statewide net metering program – Alabama, Alaska, Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Tennessee.

Arizona: Regulatory Maze Creates Green Business Gridlock

Arizona: Regulatory Maze Creates Green Business Gridlock

Local governments undermine Arizona’s green energy goals

Contact:
Regina Weiss
Communications Coordinator
Regina@NewEnergyChoices.org
212-991-1069
917-288-5251

While the State of Arizona is making it easier and more profitable for people to generate their own renewable energy, some local governments in the state are making it harder and more expensive.

To encourage homeowners and small businesses to invest in small-scale solar and wind generation systems, the state wrote new rules this year to accommodate greater clean energy generation and to ensure that people will receive full credit for the excess energy their systems produce. Meanwhile, disorganization, inconsistent permit requirements and wide variations in fees from town to town are creating barriers to these systems at the local level. For example, while some towns, such as Bisbee, have waived permit fees for small scale solar energy installations, others charge $1,000 or more for a permit for a home energy system. Still other jurisdictions require an engineering stamp, adding hundreds more to the cost.

According to Tom Alston, vice president of Arizona’s Solar Energy Industries Association, permit requirements are a “hodgepodge” in the state. “The Maricopa Association of Governments has created a standard set of permit requirements for solar installations that towns can adopt, but are not required to, which defines what inspectors look for,” Alton explained. “Tucson has taken a progressive approach and eliminated permit fees. It has also hired a full time solar coordinator to streamline the process. Some cities, including Mesa, have no permit requirement at all; anyone can go ahead and install a small-scale renewable energy system as long as they pass a rigorous utility inspection.”

Other contractors cited disorganization on the part of permitting agencies, the lack of clear, established permit requirements as obstacles. While some towns have a simple mail-in form to issue a permit, others require an in-person visit. In addition to vastly different fees, documentation required varies greatly from one place to the next. Many inspectors are unfamiliar with solar energy systems, and in some towns homeowners associations keep people from installing solar systems, despite the fact that Arizona law specifically prohibits them from doing so.

Still, according to Alston, fees, not permit requirements, are the biggest barrier in the state. He points out that Phoenix and Scottsdale, where fees are usually under $150, are where the bulk of renewable systems are installed. By contrast, the City of Glendale charges $800 to $1,000 permit fee for a residential system.

Many cities, such as The City of Gilbert, charge a percentage of the system’s cost, essentially penalizing someone who installs a system that generates more electricity, even if they don’t take significantly more staff time to permit. For Arizona Solar Electric, the company for which Alston works, permit fees this year averaged $45 in Marana and $50 in Peoria, while averaging $781 in Glendale. The single highest fee was in Goodyear, where the permit process for one installation was $1,306. With Arizona’s low electricity rates, Alston believes that high permit fees act as a disincentive to small scale renewable systems, as they add significantly to the time it takes for the systems to pay for themselves.

A new state law, if enforced, should discourage local governments in Arizona from the blanket requirement of engineering stamps, and requires cities and counties to justify their fees. The law also requires that the state establish a study committee to improve the process.

Nor is Arizona alone in having local governments undermining statewide efforts to promote small-scale solar and wind energy systems. With consumers demanding energy independence and widespread concern about climate change, more than 40 states have enacted laws making it easier for homeowners and businesses to produce their own electricity, but a new report by the Network for New Energy Choices (NNEC) shows how towns often thwart the intent of those laws.

Taking the Red Tape Out of Green Power offers a road map with specific recommendations for local governments that want to remove regulatory barriers and fees that complicate what should be simple procedures and inflate costs beyond the point where the systems can be expected to pay for themselves in a reasonable amount of time. You can read the report here.

“Photovoltaic solar and small wind turbine generators are well established technologies, with proven, off-the-shelf systems that come ready to install,” said NNEC’s director Rabin. “While the upfront costs of these systems are high, in today’s energy marketplace they also pay for themselves more rapidly than ever before, making them an increasingly attractive way to confront rising energy costs, but people who want to install these clean, efficient solar and wind systems can find themselves drowning in a sea of red tape.”

NNEC’s report has been endorsed by the American Planning Association’s Environment, Natural Resources and Energy Division, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, Vote Solar Initiative, American Wind Energy Association, Solar Energy Industries Association, The American Institute of Architects and other national, regional and local groups.

“This report will help local government officials to facilitate the use of renewable energy in their communities at a time when hundreds of cities and counties across the country are looking for ways to reduce their energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in the effort to fight global climate change,” said Damian Pitt, a certified planner who is the principal author of the report.